For
high school graduates choosing their college careers, I mention that Berkeley,
Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are among more than two hundred universities
that offer courses in Jewish-Studies.

They
do not teach Judaism but Judaic-Studies. They also offer ‘Environmental-Studies,’
‘Gay and Lesbian-Studies,’ ‘Native-American-Studies’
and other hyphenated-studies courses.

But
they teach mathematics, not mathematical studies. They teach chemistry,
not chemical studies, and physics, not physical studies. They teach engineering
rather than engineering studies, and medicine rather than medical studies.

Does
the word ‘studies’ hint that it is more about a current academic
fad rather than about how the world really works?

Learning
how the world really works is really important. It always was important.

How
many times do you think magicians are mentioned in the Five Books of Moses?
If I didn’t know, my first guess would have been none! What business
does magic have in God’s message to mankind? Actually, they are
mentioned nine times in the Torah but only in the context of one story—the
redemption of Israel from Egypt.

Magicians
make their first appearance at the faintest dawn of the redemption; when
Pharaoh dreams of strange events that lead to Joseph being rescued from
the dungeon. (Genesis 41:8 & 24)

They
appear again when Aaron turns his rod into a snake to persuade Pharaoh
that he and Moses are God’s representatives. The magicians also
transform their rods into snakes, though Aaron’s rod/snake swallows
theirs. (Exodus 7:10-12)

When
God sends the plagues of Blood and Frogs, the magicians easily emulate
those plagues, convincing Pharaoh that the plagues are natural phenomena.
(Exodus 7:22 & 8:3)

Then
we encounter the first failure of the magicians. They try to emulate the
third plague, Lice, but fail. Amazingly, instead of making excuses, they
honestly inform their boss, Pharaoh, that this must be the finger of God.
(Exodus 8:14-15)

The
magicians play no role in the next two plagues and appear for the final
time during the sixth plague. They no longer stand before Pharaoh. They
have switched their allegiance to Moses—they now know the truth.

The
magicians were not able to stand before Moses because of the boils

which
were on them and on all Egypt.
(Exodus 9:11)

Here,
as the eventual outcome of God’s triumph over Egypt is becoming
evident, is the last we hear of magicians.

So who
were these magicians and what are we supposed to learn from their inclusion
in the account of Israel’s redemption from Egypt?

The
Hebrew word for these magicians has the root CH-R-T.

Revealing
meaning by reading both forwards and backwards as the Lord’s language
does, when we read ‘magicians’ backwards, we have T-R-CH,
the Hebrew word for trouble or burden.

How
alone will I carry your burden?
(Deuteronomy 1:12)

Ancient
Jewish wisdom recorded by Rabbi Nissim, the great Torah transmitter who
lived in 14th century Barcelona, explains that the magicians were the
cutting-edge scientists of Pharaoh’s day. True scientists help reverse
or do away with the troubles and burdens of living. They find ways to
help us more easily feed ourselves; they discover medical treatments,
and they make machines to help us accomplish our work.

These
early scientists appear in the context of Israel’s deliverance from
Egypt to teach us an important lesson. They stayed rooted in reality.
They were grounded and honest enough to recognize both science’s
importance and its limitations.

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Similarly,
when trying to escape your own Egypt by overcoming the challenges in your
own life, don’t seek the latest ‘studies’. Find redemption
by seeking God and His Torah. Don’t be seduced by fads, fantasies
and schemes. Remain rooted in reality by balancing how the world really
works with faith in God and His limitless power.

The
Exodus events occupy a large proportion of the Five Books of Moses because
they are the prototype for all future redemptions, both national and personal.
Each verse yields practical lessons which are applicable to all of us
as we confront our own burdens. I present three timeless techniques for
triumphing over adversity in my audio CD, Let
Me Go. Please acquire this for yourself or others in need of this
kind of blessing.

Rabbi Daniel Lapin, known world-wide
as America's Rabbi, is a noted rabbinic scholar, best-selling author and
host of the Rabbi Daniel Lapin Show on San Francisco’s KSFO. He
is one of America’s most eloquent speakers and his ability to extract
life principles from the Bible and transmit them in an entertaining manner
has brought countless numbers of Jews and Christians closer to their respective
faiths. In 2007 Newsweek magazine included him in its list of America’s
fifty most influential rabbis.